The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is seeking motivated volunteers for the 2009 Mexico Summer Project that will run from June 25 to August 8, 2009.  This is an opportunity to learn about diverse cultures and experiences and to learn ways to address the political, social, ecological, and economic challenges of the present and the future.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Servicio, Desarollo, y Paz, A.C. (SEDEPAC), a prominent Mexican non-governmental organization. AFSC and Quakers in Mexico launched the program in 1939.  In developing and implementing the 2009 Mexico Summer Project, SEDEPAC and AFSC will work closely with Unidad Indígena Totonaca Nahuatl (UNITONA), an indigenous development organization in the area. The program is celebrating its 70th year and continues to provide positive life-changing experiences for diverse youth and local communities.  

The Program
In 2009 participants will live together in indigenous communities in the mountainous northeastern region of Puebla, Mexico, commonly called the Sierra Norte de Puebla.  After four days of orientation, including a 2-day home stay with a local host family (community immersion), participants are divided into five groups. Each group of about 10 to 14 spends the next seven weeks living as a family in an indigenous village where they engage with the local community in cultural and recreational exchanges, assigned work projects for sustainable development, and workshops on various topics important to the local community and the group members.   


Qualifications
AFSC seeks applicants who are interested in service, advocacy, and social justice—both in Latin America and their own communities.  Participants must be 18-26 years old and able to communicate well in Spanish, the language of the project at all times. AFSC requires that participants undergo a pre-project physical exam. They must participate for the full seven weeks of the program, from June 25- August 8, 2009 and be willing and prepared to live with a small group of peers in a remote rural area of Mexico.

Costs
Participants are responsible for a $1,350 project fee, which covers food, lodging, and transportation related to the project. Participants are also responsible for the cost of their travel to and from Mexico City. A non-refundable registration fee of $250 is due upon acceptance and the remainder in June 2009. Through the Dewitt Wallace Youth Travel Enrichment Fund of the New York Community Trust we are able to provide scholarships to applicants who demonstrate financial need. Applicants should fill out a scholarship request form along with the application if they want to be considered for a scholarship.

Applications
Please send an email to request the forms or click here for an application.  All applications must be submitted to AFSC by March 20, 2009.   In April, up to 34 participants and five facilitators from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico will be notified of their acceptance.  Applicants from other countries should contact SEDEPAC at proyectoverano@sedepac.org.mx   Additional qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list and contacted if space becomes available.

For additional brochures and information:
American Friends Service Committee
IPLAC – Mexico Summer Project
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 241-7162
 (215)241-7026 (fax)
mexicosummer@afsc.org
www.afsc.org/mexico-summerproject

“To be able to be a volunteer in such a project is to live with different cultures and poor communities and know you can learn and teach with examples.” --MSP 2006 Participant